snappibabyLast month, we asked our Parent Review Panel to get cozy with prefolds.  Many people love prefolds, but many shy away from them perceiving them to be difficult, messy or slow to get on a fast moving baby.  After hearing from our Parent Review Panel on Facebook and some of their responses and observations about prefolds, we hope that you now have a different view of these simple beauties! What are prefolds you ask?  Here is the short & sweet 411.
  1. Prefolds are made from several layers of unbleached organic cotton twill.  They are sewn into rectangles which have three panels - a thicker panel down the middle and thinner panels on the edges.  They are flat so often folks want to know what's up with the "pre-folded" name?  Those panels, they are pre-folded for you into thinner and thicker sections.  That's the pre-folded part.
  2. They are very versatile and to some this can be overwhelming - too many options can cause fear.  We teach parents how to use prefolds at our Cloth Diaper Workshops Snappi them on or Fold & Lay.  Simple, simple, simple.  The Snappi Method requires a bit of practice at the outset but the fold and lay system is very easy and fast.  To get a good visual of how it all works, check out our tutorial in our Video Learning Series.
Based on our experiences as parents and "Diaper Therapists", these are some recommendations about prefolds:
  • Newborn prefolds are tiny.  They don't often Snappi on well as they are too small but they are great for keeping a trim bottom and fit perfectly under the newborn Super Brites.  Once they are outgrown, they can be used as extra absorbency inside of infant or baby sized prefolds or if you want to upcycle them into another use all together, the owner at Bummis told us they make great pads for moms going the reusable menstrual pad route.
  • For younger babies with runny poop, parents often love Snappi'ing them on.  These babies are often not yet mobile and are patient with parents as they get on their Snappi Groove.
  • For the ultimate in ease, the fold & lay method wins for older babies that have less runny poop and are on the go.
  • For younger babies we recommend having 3-4 covers per day, more with the fold & lay method, less with the Snappi method.
  • For older babies, we recommend having 2 covers per day.
Here is a picture tutorial on how to fold prefolds in many different ways addressing different wetting and functional needs of babies. It seems that everyone is decluttering, downsizing, simplifying.  Why not try the same with your diapering collection.  Start or boost your collection with prefolds - they are beautifully functional and wonderfully inexpensive. Check out Newborn, Infant or Baby Prefolds now. Check out the infamous Snappi Cloth Diaper Fastener now. Previous: Eucalan No Rinse Wool Wash